Kathy Bio (con’t)
Realtor Daniele Smith Interviews Kathy Holman @ the Ortega Equestrian Center in San Juan Capistrano
lessons to hundreds of young people over the years. Kathy runs a tight ship, teaching responsibility and reinforcing the principles of working hard and doing the best you possibly can. She has been awarded “Interscholastic Equestrian League Trainer of the Year”. Under Kathy’s guidance, Ortega Equestrian Center is honored to have been voted as the “Best Stable” many years in a row, every year the Capistrano Dispatch has opened the ballot for public input! OEC has also won the “Best Trail Ride and Best Instructor” over the years.
Environmental issues have always resonated with Kathy. She initiated the first horseshoe recycling program in the nation and partnered with TREX to recycle plastic wrap from shavings bags. She received the WRAP (Waste Reduction and Prevention) Award for her conscientious approach to stable management.
There is a deep love and commitment to the City of San Juan Capistrano and its Western Heritage that drives Kathy to attend the City Council meetings as well as commission meetings related to the equestrian community. She is always willing to lend a hand wherever needed and personally has supported many city events, including the Swallows Day Parade, the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo (which supported many SJC charities), the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, the Relay for Life, our adopted Camp Pendleton Marine Battalion, and others too numerous to mention. She has been recognized as both the SJC Business Leader of the Year, the SJC Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, SJCEC Distinguished Equestrian of the Year, and the Grand Marshal of the Fiesta de Las Golindrinias Parade.
Kathy has always taken in horses in need, either the hard-to-handle or the injured, and has worked hard to “fix” them. In 2013, Kathy realized a lifelong dream by establishing Otra Mas, a non-profit whose purpose is to take in aging or injured performance and show horses that are no longer able to perform in their given discipline. These horses are then habilitated and retrained in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) or Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). The benefit to the horses and humans is tremendous. Otra Mas, or “Another One”, provides a new purpose for horses that might have been euthanized and another chance for clients who are working through pressing life issues. Clients’ needs vary, and EAP & EAL is beneficial for autism, PTSD, emotional, and family issues, to name a few. Additionally, the Otra Mas team has worked with private companies and Camp Pendleton Marines in team-building activities. The Otra Mas equine therapists work with close to 110 clients per month under the professional supervision of licensed human therapists. Farmers and Merchants Bank recognized Kathy as one of “California’s Strongest People You Can Count On” for her work through Otra Mas. Per F&M Bank, “This award is given based upon achievements that demonstrate values and strength of character that help make communities strong”, and that sums up Kathy perfectly.
The strong leadership that Kathy provides to both the equestrian community and the Coty of San Juan Capistrano embodies the principles of compassion and selflessness built on a firm foundation of knowledge, experience, and unwavering integrity.
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